Improve Healthy Ageing by Incentivising Activity and Engaging Communities
Encouraging the older generation to be more physically active by earning innovative Civic Dollars that can be exchanged for rewards or donate them to local community groups and charities.
About the project
The Upper Springfield Development Trust will use a team from their Healthy Living Centre to launch and manage the innovative Civic Dollars project across the Springfield area of West Belfast to encourage the older generation in the community to be more physically active addressing three of the seven healthy ageing challenge framework themes of sustaining physical activity, creating healthy active places, and supporting social connections. The community currency can be earned by spending more time in parks and open spaces in the area (1 Civic Dollar for every 30 minutes you spend there)
The team will run training sessions, workshops, and events for the participants to help them understand the technology and how it will impact on their health, wellbeing and local community. The training will help them to be more comfortable using their mobile devices for day-to-day activities as well as using it to take part in the Civic Dollars project.
The workshops will focus on physical literacy to give them the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life. The participants will be shown how to earn Civic Dollars in the earn zones across the region and how they can redeem the rewards in exchange for their Civic Dollars or donate them to local community groups and charities.
The consistent communication between the Healthy Living Centre and the participants along with local champions and advocates who will organise gentle walks in the parks will provide a constant reminder to everyone taking part to keep being active and show the benefits of a more active lifestyle, especially for the older generation.
The healthy living centre team will educate local people that regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can prevent or delay many of the health problems that seem to come with age. The messages we will be promoting are:
Staying fit and healthy for as long as possible:
1. Maintains independent living
2. Improves cardiovascular health
3. May assist cognitive function
4. Reduces anxiety and depression
5. Helps with flexibility
6. Improves strength and bone density
7. Prevents falls
8. Maintains hobbies which maintains social connection and engagement in life.